Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok today, April 4, where he is expected to make important announcements which will focus on India’s role in strengthening regional cooperation. As founding members of BIMSTEC, India and Thailand have a long history of cooperation and PM Modi has played a key role in pushing the BIMSTEC agenda forward by hosting the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Retreat in 2016.

PM Modi has revitalised BIMSTEC, an international organisation of 7 countries from South Asia and Southeast Asia, and helped make it a vibrant platform. Today is the second day of PM Modi’s visit to Thailand and he was welcomed by Thailand’s Prime Minister Peitongtarn Shinawatra as he arrived to attend the 6th summit of BIMSTEC countries.

BIMSTEC was established in 1997 but it gained real momentum only after 2016 when during the BRICS summit that year, PM Modi took a significant step by inviting the leaders of BIMSTEC countries to a special retreat in Goa. Thereafter, he personally paid special attention to strengthening the group and promoting regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. He also showed his commitment to BIMSTEC by inviting the leaders of BIMSTEC countries to his swearing-in ceremony in 2019.

It is worth noting here that the special thing is that the BIMSTEC group is dependent on India’s leadership to advance its agenda. With India’s leadership, PM Modi’s focus on the Neighborhood First Policy, Act East Policy, Ocean Vision and Vision for Indo-Pacific gives dynamism to the group. Following........

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